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As there seems a few newbies around thought I'd supplement Treefogs excellent posts with one about the heart of GGWBTS and the key to victory, namely the political points system, also known as PPs.

Both sides start before July 61 on 1000 pts each. Quite simply the game is won when one side reduces their opponent to 0 points. The PPs also affect recruitment, lower score harder to recruit.

Lincoln Re-election

If Union score Nov 64 >1000 pts Lincoln relected and the CSA is then reduced 100 (200 if Richmond held by US) points that turn and every turn after until July 1865. The CSA can win if it stays over 0 by July 65.

If Lincoln loses then the Union takes a 100 point hit this and every turn thereafter until April 1865. The CSA wins unless the Union gets the CSA down below zero before this date while staying over 0 itself.

This means that the election itself is nearly always decisive. The USA cannot effectively win if Lincoln isn't relected and very likely will win if he is.


What affects the political points in the game?

Turn Deduction + Leader Effects

Every turn each side loses:
CSA 9 PP
USA 27 PP

Then every turn poltical points of all Army & Theatre commanders are added (1 point is added for every empty commander slot)

Every turn Union PP change between -21 and -3 PPs depending on his leaders
CSA between +13 and -3 PPs

Battles + Territory

Strategic Victory ( when 20+die(10) units on losing side) winner + 20PP, loser -10PP (values doubled for CSA victory in US permanent state)

When region captured the victor gains the PPs value of the region and the loser loses it

Drafts

Every Union draft costs 50 PP

Emancipation & Black Recruitment

When emancipation declared the Confederates +100PP (100PP according to manual but in my last game 108PP got added to CSA), if its not declared before Jan 1863 Union has -3 PPs a turn until it declared.

Black recruitment Union -50PP and CSA +50 PP when declared

Commerce Raiding

Evey raider attack costs Union 1 PP a turn up to max of 3 per turn

Army & Theatre Commanders Dismisal & Promotion

Dismissal PP cost = Rank x Political rating of leader

Presidential Promotion = 50 + (New Rank x 20) - 10 x leader political rating

Rank = number of stars of the general

Richmond

US moves 30+ units into Richmond, Manassas or any region adjacent to Richmond +5 PPs to US

1st Manassas/Bull Run

If Union player doesn't move 15+ combat units into Manassas on turn 1 of the Battle Cry of Freedom (1861 start) scenario -10PP

Jon,

Excellent summary, it pulls in information from various rules and combines them in one place.

It facilitates the following observations:

1. Left unmolested, the CSA PPs will typically grow each turn because the combined political rating of six southern general officers will almost always exceed the automatic -9 PPs per turn. Time starts running out for the Union on the very first turn (conversely no combination of six northern general officers offsets the -27 PPs per turn loss).

2. Some events create consequences for only one side (i.e. relieving a general) and some create a consequence for both sides (capture of a region).

3. The Magic Number approach. The grand strategy of the Union is dictated by the need to get the CSA to 0 PPs.

Consider this simple mathematical formula:

start with 1000 PPs for the CSA
+add the estimated PPs gain each turn as described in paragraph 1, above
+add the PPs for CSA events you anticipate will occur such as an estimated number of CSA strategic victories (every dog has his day), etc.
-subtract the PPs for CSA events you reasonably anticipate will occur (relieving officers, strategic losses)

(factor in such other elements I may have overlooked).

This gives you a net number of CSA PPs you must reduce to zero; this number is your real adversary.

Divide the net number of CSA PPs you reasonably anticipate the CSA will have by the number of turns in the game; the result is the "magic number". The number will horrify the Union. Deal with it. The "magic number" is the average PP loss the Union must inflict on the South every, every, every (did I say every) turn. There will inevitably be many months the South loses no PPs, meaning the Union will have to make it up later. In other words, the "magic number" will change every turn.

It is a good idea for new Union players to keep a running tally of the "magic number". The "magic number" is the true mark of their progress in war. If the number is going up, the Union is clearly not winning. If the number is going down, the Union is moving towards victory.

Thanks again to Jon for collecting all the information necessary to run the formula.[&o]

Thanks Treefrog. Interesting and insightful as ever.

Magic number approach sounds useful.

I tend to think opposite to you as I gear everything around the Union PPs due to the Lincoln reelection as the -100PP a turn the CSA will suffer after means they very likely lose, if he isn't reelected then the US stands almost no chance and will lose.

To get Lincoln relected as Union you need to stay above the 1000PP mark. With the combined effects of the PP drop every turn and drafting plus the other losses you can judge a different magic number. How many PPs you need on average per turn to stay over 1000PPs

Generals with high political rating which will limit your PP losses tend to be poor so it is a balancing act as to whether you go for good generals but need to capture more territory or whether you assign poor political generals and have more modest aims.

Jonboym,

Agreed that Lincoln reelection is critical.

Even as a beer and pretzels game I take monthly notes, the first line of which is usa and csa PPs for the very reason you raise, How is the Lincoln doing towards reelection (frankly if Lil Mac gets killed I think the USA should get a PPs bonus in November 1864). By writing the usa PPs every turn it forces me to pay attention.

My tracking system shows the following information which I find helpful:

USA PPs/CSA PPs
number of cruisers and pirates in the privateer box (A02), number each damages and supply and PPs loss due to pirates
usa/csa supply used the previous turn and usa supply available that turn
usa/csa killed and damaged in battles plus militia raised
csa forts and depots built (they are not necessarily shown on the map thereafter and it is helpful to remember the forts are there if you are planning sequential overruns)

as a newbie I had additional categories that forced me to pay attention to certain events and note them for future game play:
loss of supplies to raids (amazing how they add up)
PPs gain/loss for all the categories you list (after many games this gives me an idea of game flow, i.e. I do not become unduly alarmed when USA PPs drop to mid to low 900s - I remember that have come back from that low).

Very organised Treefrog! No wonder you're such a veritable mine of information and wisdom.

ORIGINAL: Treefrog

Jonboym,

Agreed that Lincoln reelection is critical.

Even as a beer and pretzels game I take monthly notes, the first line of which is usa and csa PPs for the very reason you raise, How is the Lincoln doing towards reelection (frankly if Lil Mac gets killed I think the USA should get a PPs bonus in November 1864). By writing the usa PPs every turn it forces me to pay attention.

My tracking system shows the following information which I find helpful:

USA PPs/CSA PPs
number of cruisers and pirates in the privateer box (A02), number each damages and supply and PPs loss due to pirates
usa/csa supply used the previous turn and usa supply available that turn
usa/csa killed and damaged in battles plus militia raised
csa forts and depots built (they are not necessarily shown on the map thereafter and it is helpful to remember the forts are there if you are planning sequential overruns)

as a newbie I had additional categories that forced me to pay attention to certain events and note them for future game play:
loss of supplies to raids (amazing how they add up)
PPs gain/loss for all the categories you list (after many games this gives me an idea of game flow, i.e. I do not become unduly alarmed when USA PPs drop to mid to low 900s - I remember that have come back from that low).